Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Enzian to submit final expansion plans to Maitland zoning board later this year

The Enzian Theater plans to submit its final proposal for expansion to Maitland’s Planning and Zoning Commission later this year, according to executive vice president Elizabeth Mukherjee.

“It looks like we will be submitting our plan to the city in the next few months, but not until we're sure we have the right plan that works for Enzian, the city of Maitland, and our neighbors and patrons,” says Mukherjee. “We are still actively fundraising and getting closer and closer to our goal.”

The Enzian Forever project would expand the Maitland art cinema from one to three screens while also adding a new lobby, restrooms and staff offices. The initial proposal was publicly presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission in January and drew both praise from Enzian patrons and criticism from nearby residents, who expressed their concern over the lack of parking and other issues related to increased attendance.

Though it’s been almost eight months since that meeting, Mukherjee says she is still hopeful that the project, if approved, could be done in time for the 2018 Florida Film Festival.

“It is my best guess that once we go back to [the Planning and Zoning Commission], we will have another three to six months with the city before the project is formally approved. If we are able to work on permitting concurrently, that will save us some time, but if we need to wait until we are completely through the city process, then permitting will likely take another three to six months. Then we can break ground and hope to see the project completed within a year of groundbreaking. Right now we are aiming for Florida Film Festival 2018 for completion.”